A violent protest broke out at the University of California, Berkeley, ahead of the sold-out event for Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point on Monday during the last stop of the American Comeback tour, which Kirk had just started at the time of his death.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot on September 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. His killing reignited debates over political violence and became a rallying point for the Republican president.
The Berkeley was being hosted by the campus’s TPUSA chapter. It featured comedian and actor Rob Schneider and Christian author Frank Turek.
After the event, Rob Schneider posted a photo one of the protester and asked, “Who is THIS violent agitator?”
Here’s what we know about the protest
— The event was met by over 100 protesters who were voicing dissatisfaction with Turning Point and the overall conservative movement. — The protest broke out between an Antifa protester and a US President Donald Trump’s supporter.
— Protesters shouted ‘Fascists out of Berkeley’, with many chanting ‘No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA’ and also blocked every entrance.
— According to the Guardian, protesters also carried signs with slogans such as ‘We won the war, why are there still Nazis’ and ‘No safe space for fascist scum’
— Videos showed protesters clashing with cops and attendees, leaving some covered in blood.
Mikey McCoy blames ‘Antifa’
“Right now at our Turning Point USA campus tour stop at UC Berkeley… Antifa is breaking through police barricades and threatening our event attendees,” TPUSA chief of staff Mikey McCoy said on X.
Arrests made
Police said that at least two people were arrested, including one for battery, before the event got underway.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Justice Department Harmeet Dhillon announced that she will be opening an investigation.
“The @CivilRights will investigate what happened here, and I see several issues of serious concern regarding campus and local security and Antifa’s ability to operate with impunity in CA,” Harmeet Dhillon said in a post on X.
“In America, we do not allow citizens to be attacked by violent thugs and shrug and turn our backs. Been there, done that, not on our watch,” Dhillon wrote.
‘Charlie inspired us’
One of the attendee who drove five hours from Santa Maria told Daily Mail that she came for the event be Charlie inspired them, saying Kirk’s religious teachings rather than his politics drew her to his work.
‘His message about traditional family values, about what it means to be a godly husband or wife – that’s what stuck with me,’ she added.
— Despite protest, the event hours-long event went smoothly after the chatoc scenes.
“Despite Antifa thugs blocking our campus tour stop with tear gas, fireworks, and glass bottles, we had a PACKED HOUSE in the heart of deep blue UC Berkeley,” New TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said in a post on X.
